Steve I tend to agree with you in that prayer is effective and heplfull.

As I pray God shows me new steps to take in my recovery.I have had giant leaps and small steps.Massive healing and slow reciovery.

Jesus is our answer. I have faith in Him to bring us through.

O grieve when some Christians and Pastors give flippant or catch phrase answers. It's shallow and can be offensive.I am sadended that the western church is not the praying church it once was - with a few exceptions. I am fortunate to have solid discerning prayer partners.

prayer to be effective is certainly not shallow or quick or formulae but perseverance and endurance and faith.

As a Catholic, confession for me was a life line that God gave me, I spoke directly to Christ when I was there, it was private, secret, safe. That is the key it was safe, and the answers came immediately, thru the priest. I was always treated with compassion. I heard God tell me time after time, "It's okay I'm here and I will always be here". It worked for me.

I've heard horror stories and I don't doubt them, but the overwhelming good done, (again in my experience) far outweighed any evil horrors related to me by others.

Holy Mother Church nurished me with faith when I was hopeless, made me a part of something bigger than all of us when I was abandoned.

Best part of my experience - I knew Christ was there because he always found a way to be at the center of attention with sinners.That's what I found out about most Catholics ---people who knew they were created for a greater good,their lives are a gift from God to the world, but they fall short, way short, but it's the struggle that counts.

This is just one man's thankfulness for a Church that has always been there for me, even if there were some in the heirarchy "giving me hell" when I needed a taste of Heaven.

yours in crosses

Tony

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we are so accustomed to adopting masks before others, that we wind up being unable to recognize ourselves

GuysDont lump all Churches into the few you know..Many Churches have outreach minatrys..My church has what we call the Hope House ..Jesus that we would have the poor always..One Pastor told us that we had the best kept secret in town ..with in the four walls of the church..I agree we need to get out and help were we can..I do know that God answers all Prayers..just some times he says no...our he allows us to go through things we dont understand..I for one do all I can for my brothers and sisters..

Churches aren't perfect. Hell they're filled with imperfect people.The church I go to realised a number of years ago that it was too inward focussed and so accelerated its community ministries. This year my church has ramped up even more the focus on community ministries. I think there is a lot of churches rising to the benevolence challenge. As Nathan said, he knows many great churches.Praise God for that.Jethro

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